Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

[omahen]

I don't think "waiting" is a strategy unless you know who you're waiting for and whether it's realistic. We could have more assets only to be faced with a limited number of two-way players (see above problem).

There are players like Gafford and maybe Portis that I would argue are available now and would be significant players on this roster. Maybe we can't afford them, but I think it's mostly that we haven't been very creative. Perhaps this Front Office is different. I doubt they're thinking let's do nothing and hold onto our assets just in case there's some top tier two-way players hitting the market. If I were Luca, that would be the last thing I wanted to hear. I hope that's not the how this FO works.

There are 30 teams competing for the best players. You're going to have to work to upgrade your roster, and you're going to have to look for every opportunity to do that.

I agree you should have some knowledge or even certainty on who becomes available. But, that is not my job. I can only guess. That is a job that good (or better put successful) FO not just identify but also create. Especially in player empowerement era. 

Lets face it. Mavs can forever stay average by changing role players and spend assets on role players hoping to become third best players on a contender. Gafford is a back-up center. Portis is a back-up PF/C on a contender. Those kind of guys will not erase the talent difference between Mavs and top teams. No matter how many of them you shuffle.